The Science of Mischief
by LadyLaufeyson1
Summary: Loki finally pays Jane that visit. Takes place post The Dark World and pre-Ultron.
1. Chapter 1

She wasn't drunk enough to forget the man whom she had recently broken up with, but she was apparently drunk enough to see his dead brother standing half in the shadows, staring at her from across the busy bar.

She laughed to herself when she first saw him, thinking shehad finally lost it altogether, but that laughter quickly dissipated when he started walking across the room in her direction. She looked around at the crowd, wondering if anyone else had noticed the tall, pale, shifty figure clad entirely in an eccentric leather outfit moving towards her like a hunter about to attack its prey, but no; no one else was paying him any mind.

As he approached her, she began to panic and did the first irrational thing that popped into her mind. Reaching for her half empty glass of scotch, she turned just in time to douse his face with the liquid.

"Hello Miss Foster," Loki said in a low growl, smirking as he wiped the drink off his face with the back of his hand. "Why, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Jane laughed again and then stopped, covering her mouth in sudden disbelief. She searched his face over for a moment, looking hard up and down at every detail of his figure, trying to come to terms with the reality of the deceased man clearly standing before her. The anxiety soon left her face, and she shook her head assuredly as though she had just reached a very important conclusion. "You're dead. I saw you die."

"My, my, that dress on you…," he tested her, looking her over and slowly licking his lips with feigned desire.

He didn't have time to look long before a hand came across his face, striking him hard. Loki laughed the first genuine laugh he had in quite some time. She could certainly pack a punch, much to his amusement.

"See?" he said, rubbing the side of his face and then opening him arms out to her. "Very much alive."

Jane's heart sank at the feeling of his raw flesh beneath her fingers. He wasn't dead. Either that or she was in the middle of a horrific nightmare she'd rather not be in. "Does he know?"

"Who?" Loki asked dumbly, looking around playfully.

"THOR, does THOR know you're alive?"

"I'm afraid not."

"You selfish bastard," she said simply, shaking her head and looking up at him in disbelief. She looked as though she were about to hit him again or burst into tears. "You destroyed him."

"And you didn't?"

"H- how did you know?"

"So it's true then. The god of thunder and the mortal woman of science are finally no more. Pray tell, where can I find that lumbering oaf?"

"Get away from me," she stepped back from him, turning back to the bar. "I have _nothing_ to say to you. But tell me, tell me one thing - how is it that one of the most infamous terrorists this city has ever seen is just casually standing in the middle of a crowded bar without a single soul giving a damn?"

"No one else can see me."

"So it looks like I'm talking to myself right now?"

"Afraid so."

"Lovely," she muttered, turning back to the bar in hopes that her second drink had arrived. It had. She threw it back without further thought, raising her eyebrows and nodding enthusiastically when the bartender asked if she'd be needing another.

"Might I have a word in private?" Loki whispered a little too close to her ear, rubbing his fingers against his lips pensively. He hoped she would come quietly.

"I'm meeting someone," she said forcefully, turning back around and trying to ignore him, but Loki grabbed her by the arm and brought her back around to face him.

"This won't take long."

—-

The air was cold but the night was clear as the two stepped out into the street, crossing 5thAvenue into Central Park. Jane distanced herself from Loki, wrapping her peacoat tightly around herself as she did so. He noticed her actions, but paid no mind and was simply glad she came on her own without him having to force her. He was tired, and for once, an altercation was not what he was looking for.

"I can't believe I'm going for an evening stroll with my super hero ex-boyfriend's dead brother who just happens to be one of the most wanted men in t

he world, maybe universe, right now," she commented angrily, thinking out loud.

"You flatter me."

"I don't mean to."

Loki laughed. He looked over at her and half smiled to himself. It had been months since he had talked to anyone, at least as himself and not Odin, and her blatant disgust towards him was more than amusing. "Jane Foster. How have we both fallen so far."

"Well, I can tell you how _you_ have, if we're being technical."

He laughed again. The two walked aimlessly in silence for a short while, Jane always several paces ahead of him, before reaching a quiet bench shrouded in trees but with a very clear view of the starry night sky.

"Look, if you're here to murder me, or throw me off of Stark Tower, or feed me to some Chitauri alien, I'd really appreciate if you would hurry it up. I've had a long day, and there isn't enough booze in the world to make me comfortable with this particular situation right now."

"I just… wanted to talk," he said quietly, almost sounding sincere as he gestured for her to take a seat. "I'm not going to hurt you, Jane. You think too little of me."

"Too little of y-? You just want to ta_-,_" she burst out laughing and shook her head. "Lord, what is happening."

As she took a seat on the very edge of the opposite end of the bench, Loki couldn't help but chuckle at her clear desire to be as far away from him as possible. She was practically falling off, holding her torso tighter while her teeth began to violently chatter.

"What is it?" he suddenly inquired, his face dark with confusion at her actions.

"Not all of us are f- frost giants," she said, her legs beginning to shake as well. "You can't feel the cold at all can you?"

Loki rolled his eyes and reluctantly held his hand out to her. "Take my hand."

"What? No!"

"Damnit Jane, I told you, I'm not going to harm you."

"I don't trust you."

"You're smart not to."

Before she could protest, he reached over and took a surprisingly gentle hold of her hand. As he did, the warmth shot through her body, her legs steadied and her teeth were no longer making what was, to him, a most insufferable noise.

"Better?" he asked, his eyebrows raised cockily at her as though he had just proven something important.

"I guess so," she said, visibly relaxing as he let go of her. She never knew what to make of him, this strange man, this terrorist, this almost savior of hers. He frightened her, but at the same time, deep down, she knew he wouldn't hurt her. He had no reason to. No reason she could think of, at least. "Why are you here? Doesn't Odin know you're here?"

"Ah, I'm afraid the old man has, once again, decided to take a nap at the most inconvenient of times."

"So who's ruling Asagard?"

"You're looking at him," he replied. He definitely didn't sound happy about finally having control over the throne of his home realm, much to Jane's surprise.

"You're joking."

"Tell me," he said quickly, changing the subject. "You and Thor. What could that idiot have possibly done this time? I'm all too curious to know."

"I ended it."

Loki leaned forward and propped his elbow up on his knee while holding his chin thoughtfully. Jane peered over at him, watching his face distort at her words. He looked lost, deep in thought. If Jane didn't know any better, she would have thought him sad.

"Why?"

"That's a loaded question," she said quietly, rolling her eyes to hide the pain. "Why. Why did you kill all of those people? They had lives you know. People they cared about, people who cared about them. I know it's hard for a raging, emotionless psychopath to understand the value of love, but- "

"You are so certain I know nothing of love, then?" he whispered, mostly to himself, and ran his fingers through his silky hair while his knee bounced anxiously. "I loved my mother," he said flatly, wringing his hands at the surge of pain the admission caused him. He looked over at her in pure disgust. "You remember her, don't you? The woman who gave her life to save you so that you would live happily ever after with her favorite son."

Jane didn't laugh now. She swallowed as the crystal clear memory that was Frigga's death twisted her stomach into knots. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, and she hung her head in shame. Silence passed between the two of them for several minutes before she spoke.

"I think about that day, all day, every day. It's not like I knew what I was doing with the portal, when the Aether took me. I had no idea. But I know full well now that I should never have gone to Asgard."

"No, you shouldn't have," Loki snapped without further thought, knowing full well what the statement implied; that she should have died instead of his mother. His eyes too began to water as he stared at his fists.

"Thor was never the same after that," she continued quietly, avoiding Loki's intense gaze. Maybe he did come to kill her after all; an eye for an eye. Thor was no longer around to save her. "He blamed me, though he would never admit to it. He was broken, in the end. Broken by her death and by yours."

"So it was all for nothing then?" he asked, more disbelievingly than angry. She didn't understand why he needed to come all the way from an entirely different realm to give her the third degree about her relationship, but it was starting to unravel her.

"It wasn't for nothing," was all she managed to say as tears fell quietly down her cheeks. She was suddenly afraid that she was about to completely break down in front of the very last man in the nine realms she wanted to cry in front of. She noticed him wiping tears from his face out of the corner of her eye, and for some reason, she couldn't help but suddenly feel sorry for him. It wasn't making sense. If he was this deeply sensitive, emotional being as she was now seeing for the very first time, how was it possible that he could have done such monstrous things? The question escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

"Why did you hurt so many people…"

"I was part of something greater than you could ever comprehend," he interrupted defensively, his nostrils flaring as he pointed threateningly at her.

"Well I hope it was worth it."

Loki opened his mouth, eager to retort, but nothing came out. He had been so constantly on this never ending road to succession and power to secretly protect those he cared for that he never once stopped to ask himself if, so far, it had been "worth it." He knew the answer to that was a gut-wrenching, resounding no. His plans had repeatedly backfired, and he ended up destroying lives and completely alienating himself from his friends and family.

"And what about New Mexico? You could have killed us all! I was there, you know. And the warriors three, and Sif…"

Jane stopped when she noticed Loki visibly flinch at the mere mention of Sif's name. She watched as his knee began nervously bouncing up and down once again, his eyes narrowing as though he were about to either explode with anger or some other emotion Jane wasn't well in the mood to handle. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Frigga wasn't the only person you ever loved."

Loki stood up and started pacing back and forth, his hands locked behind his back. He turned his back on her so that she wouldn't see the incredible anguish he abruptly felt spilling out onto his face. He needed to pull himself together. "I killed them because in the end, I didn't have a choice. The Chitauri, Than-"

"You've always had a choice, Loki. You can be the hero or the villain. It's entirely up to you. You weren't under the influence of the Chitauri in Puente Antiguo. You don't have an excuse."

"You're right, I would have killed him," he turned back to face her, crouching down in front of her so that his face was inches from hers. He nodded matter-of-factly, searching her eyes for understanding. "I would have killed everyone, rearranged the cosmos, I would have done_anything_ to keep them from being with one another. I would have saved a petulant mortal woman solely responsible for the death of my mother just to get Thor to leave the realm with her. To leave Sif alone. I must keep her safe."

Jane was startled by his close proximity and incredibly romantic (yet psychopathic) declaration, but she remained steadfast. "To keep her safe? Where is Sif? Is she in trouble?"

"She is wherever Thor is now, following him to the ends of the realms as she always has. There is something big coming, Jane Foster. For Midgard. For Asgard. For me. For all of us," Loki stood once more, turning to look back up at the stars. "Thanos won't kill me, not at first, but he will ultimately take her, and-," he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. "Let us just say, he knows my true weakness."

"Well now, so do I."

Loki laughed, pressing a single finger to his lips thoughtfully, his brows furrowed. "Why, it appears you do. What shall I do with you?"

Jane had had enough. She stood up from the bench and marched over to where he stood, taking him by surprise. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You're not?" he whispered softly, mockingly, looking down at her with amusement in his tired eyes.

"No, I'm not," she continued, relaying the strength of her emotion in her wild hand gestures, secretly becoming affected by his closeness. The man certainly had an intoxicating charm about him, as much as she loathed admitting it, and she did. "I don't know why you feel the need to dredge up my painful past, I don't know why I'm here, or why the hell you're even here, but Loki Odinson or Laufeyson, or WHOEVER the hell you are, you DON'T intimidate me."

"Oh?" he questioned, stepping closer to tower over her.

"No! I look at you and I see someone so outwardly full of hate, but inside, there's so much hurt. I peg you for a cocky, jealous, deceitful, coward, but you, you won't touch me. You won't touch me, because you're still afraid of him. You're afraid if you do, he'll come after you."

"What a pity," Loki smiled at her daftness, although her words secretly cut him. He reached down to take a lock of her hair in between his fingers and twirled it around before letting it fall back down across her chest. "I'm afraid you don't know me at all then."

At that moment, he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her firmly up against him. He looked down at her briefly before leaning in to press his lips hard against hers. He reached up and used his free hand to run along the length of her jaw, cupping the back of her head, pulling her deeper against his mouth. He found it interesting that she did not protest; for a moment, he thought he felt her lean further into him. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled it down to fully claim her mouth once more before breaking away.

When the two separated and Jane finally opened her eyes, she nearly fainted at the familiar gilded walls around her.

"Ah, so it appears I was right," Loki said, glancing down at her menacingly, his lips curled into a smirk. He wiped off the kiss in seeming disgust. "You still have Aether debris running through those pretty little veins of yours. Infinity dust. A single kiss, as weak and meaningless as it might be, still powerful enough to transport both of us through the realms, along with the power of my staff. Unfortunately for you, I do believe that just used up the rest of whatever remained. It looks like you won't be going anywhere for a while."

"You unimaginable scum bag," Jane stepped away from him, looking horrified at her surroundings. "YOU SON OF A BITCH."

"Welcome back to Asgard, Miss Foster," he said casually, strolling leisurely towards the door of the great room, the fancy cage she was to be locked away in. "You'll be of great use to me. Once Thor realizes you're here, he'll come for you, and I will finally end him."

"She still won't love you."

Loki stopped in his tracks, the words wounding him.

"Regardless of the outcome," he turned before closing the door behind him. "To see the look on his face, on your face, when I split his skull will be more than worth it."

As Loki locked the door behind him, he grasped gungnir heatedly and took off in the direction of the main halls. He had lied about the power of the kiss. There was no such thing, and there was nothing left of the Aether in her to wield any such power; there never was. They were simply at a known portal at the right time.

This information, however, he thought best to keep to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

She did not cry. She had not cried since she first arrived in Asgard two days ago, and even then it was only tears for Frigga, not for herself. She was being held up high in a large, beautiful (although rather isolated) tower that overlooked the water and Heimdall's observatory.

The tower consisted of several grandiose conjoined rooms. The first was a long room with massive windows and gilded walls that held nothing more than a banquet table and many chairs lined along the edge; the room she first arrived in. The second chamber harbored a lavish canopy bed with light, flowing drapes and an open balcony. She had found a closet full of magnificent robes and dresses that curiously enough fit her perfectly, with an adjoining washroom and a bath tub that was larger than her kitchen back home. The last room was a massive sunroom, the ceiling entirely made of windows, with antique telescopes and colossal bookshelves lining the walls; a place she could easily spend all day researching and studying. The fact that the place was so perfect made her even more uncomfortable. It was by far the most beautiful place she had ever been, despite the less than perfect circumstances.

For the second morning in a row, she woke to a bountiful feast of various fresh fruits, smoked meats, cheeses and breads splayed out on the banquet table. She knew he had been here again although she had not seen or heard him. The amount of food was laughable, as she was clearly the only person it was meant for, yet it could easily feed an entire army. Between her anxious state and her defiance, she had refused to touch hardly any of the food; she knew that the longer she went without eating the more likely he was to come, and although he was very much the last person she wanted to see, she needed answers.

After filling a goblet with water, she walked into the sunroom and sat down on an over-sized chair, staring blankly out the window at the beautiful grounds of the kingdom. She thought more on Frigga and of Thor, until her thoughts turned to Loki and her heart pounded. What a bastard, she thought to herself, feeling her anger rise. Her stomach tightened as she reluctantly replayed their kiss for the thousandth time over in her mind, the guilt surging within her. No, she was no longer with Thor, but she still felt awful. It made perfect sense that he would kiss her only for his own gain, but something didn't add up. Clearly if he had been able to travel to Earth without her help, he would be able to get back without it, "residual powers of the Aether" be damned. She felt nothing except complete hatred for him and she was certain he was equally repulsed by her, as she was the main reason his mother was now dead. What was most confusing about the entire thing was that in that moment, she didn't push him away. And despite the physical sensation of his cold lips against hers, his kiss was inexplicably tender. It was unnerving, to say the very least.

Loki stood in the doorway, watching her for much longer than he originally anticipated. He tried to make his presence known several times so as not to startle her, but when she continued to stare out the window, it was clear that she was too lost in thought to notice him. His eyes traveled over her small frame and he swallowed, trying hard not to notice the way the silken robe outlined her breasts or how the fabric was barely covering her thighs. He watched curiously for a moment as her eyes closed and opened peacefully, the warm rays of sunshine splashing over her face, her fingers rubbing absentmindedly against her lips. He wondered what or who she was thinking about while secretly envying her serenity. He ran his hand through his unkempt hair in frustration, unaware of what to do next.

A chill swept over her as she heard shuffling, and suddenly, she knew he was behind her. She was fearful only for a moment before turning her face slowly to look at him, their eyes meeting for the first time in days. She wanted to throw her goblet at him, to get up and pound him with every last bit of energy she had left in her overly-exhausted body, but the only thing she could do in that moment, was stare.

He stared back at her, leaning casually against the doorway, his expression dark. He could feel her disdain and her disgust scorching him from across the room, and for some odd reason, as he watched her cross her arms across her chest and pull her robe quickly over her, he felt embarrassed.

"I tried knocking," he muttered idiotically, sounding almost apologetic as he stared at the floor to give her a bit of privacy. He immediately kicked himself for sounding so weak.

"Yeah, well, I didn't hear you," she snapped, grateful for the fact that he was no longer looking at her so she could stand and properly fix herself.

"May I enter?"

"Haven't you already?" she replied angrily, pulling the robe tighter around her waist.

Loki straightened himself and walked further into the room, her harsh tone sobering him up. He walked around the room, glancing up at the many books while pulling random ones out to look at.

"You haven't eaten much…," he spoke nonchalantly, pretending not to care even though it bothered him. She watched him carefully turn the pages of a large book entitled "The Prose Edda"; a book having something to do with Norse Mythology, according to the spine label. He would like reading about himself, she thought.

"Forgive me for not having much of an appetite, I'm currently being held hostage by a psychopath."

Loki laughed, closing the book with a resounding thud and forced it gently back into its place on the bookshelf. He turned and leisurely walked towards her, his hands knit together behind his back.

"Tell me, Miss Foster," he inquired, placing a single finger to his lips thoughtfully while stoppinag to gaze out the large windows. "When would you say was the last time you spoke to that insufferable brute?"

"Haven't heard from him in a long time," she answered, almost a little too quickly, her arms crossed defiantly.

"Being truthful will only help you, I assure you," he replied irritably, clearly agitated yet not surprised by her insolence. "Now, I will ask you once more. When was the last time you spoke to Thor?"

"I told you the truth," she said through clenched teeth, determined not to give up the game. "It's been weeks."

Loki turned to face her, his eyes burning. "Not according to this," he spat, reaching into a hidden pocket of his leather tunic, pulling out a small silver phone.

"How did you- When did you-"

"Are you truly shocked?" he smiled darkly. "I have my ways, Jane. Don't test me."

"It doesn't matter when I talked to him last, I don't know where is. And even if I did, what the hell makes you think I'd tell you?"

"I think I could somehow persuade you," he threatened, knowing full well his threats were empty. He wouldn't hurt her. However, if she knew that, he wouldn't get any cooperation from her. As much as he loathed her, he didn't want to hurt her. Besides, Frigga's death would have been in vain if anything were to happen to her at his hand.

He started walking towards her once more but stopped dead in his tracks once he saw her frantically back away from him. She was frightened of him, whether she admitted it or not and surprisingly, he found he took no pleasure in the fact.

"So what," she said, grasping on to the back of another arm chair, her body clearly weak from hunger and exhaustion. "You're going to torture me? Kill me?"

Loki sighed. "Please eat."

"No."

"WHY NOT?" he growled, quickly growing impatient with her. "Is there something specific I can bring you? Something I- I can do to make you more comfortable here?"

"YOU CAN BRING ME HOME!"

"Not an option," he shook his head, placing his hands on his hips.

"Then LEAVE."

"THEN will you eat?"

"NO!" she yelled, and as soon as she did, she found herself grasping the back of the chair even harder, trying to steady herself as she began swaying back and forth. "Oh…"

"What is it?" Loki asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, his face suddenly alarmed.

"I think," she said breathlessly, feeling her forehead, her face growing paler with each passing second. "I think I might faint."

He was at her side immediately, catching her gently in his arms before she could hit the hard ground. She blacked out only for a second, waking up cradled against his chest on the floor. Her mind wanted to fight him, to push him away, but her body was far too weak. She sank against him instead, weakly grasping his leather collar while continuing to fade in and out of consciousness.

"Damnit Jane," Loki cursed under his breath, pushing her hair back from her face, holding his cool hand against her hot cheek while gently shaking her. Her eyes remained closed. He briefly began to panic, but as soon he broke away from her skin, she became aware once more and reached groggily for his hand. She pulled it back to her face, holding it there.

"You feel good against me," she whispered, barely conscious and so quietly that if there was any sort of background noise, he would have certainly missed it. Her soft, warm skin burned his rough, cool flesh. Too shocked by her sentiment, he did not move. Not until her grip on his hand began to weaken.

"I need you to eat," he stated suddenly, standing brusquely with her still in his arms, lifting her with ease. He began walking toward the bedchamber, making note of how light she was. He knew she was about a foot shorter than him, more or less, but he didn't realize until now just how delicate she was. He smiled to himself, knowing full well that if he confessed this particular thought to her, she would most likely be offended.

He sat her upright on the edge of the bed, holding her waist with one hand while he used his free hand to pull back the covers. He picked her up once more and laid her down carefully, pulling pillows behind her to get her to sit up more while covering her with the blankets. "You mortals and your weak forms," he muttered in pure annoyance, shaking his head.

Her eyes were opened more now, but she said nothing. She was simultaneously frightened and entranced by him, watching in pure mystification as he fussed over her. When he glanced once more at her, realizing she had been watching him, he straightened himself and stormed out of the room, his face marked with aggravation.

Several minutes later, he returned, carrying a tray of what looked like small bits of everything that was in the banquet hall. He placed it directly next to her on the bedside table. Jane stared at him, completely taken aback by his seemingly caring actions.

"The plums are good," he rambled, avoiding eye contact with her while running his fingers through his hair. "They're fresh. If you look out the balcony, there is a small orchard on the hill to the right of the estuary. They come from there. And this particular cheese is from the same merchant. It's just from this morning. Please," he said, in a tone that was neither kind nor cruel. "I won't sit here and watch you eat, but I'm not leaving the tower until you do. That should give you more than enough reason."

Jane looked slowly from him to the food. It looked amazing, and she was starving. There was no use carrying on with her front; she had gotten him to visit her which was the whole point of her charade. Besides, death by starvation was not a way in which she wanted to go out.

She said nothing to him, but nodded, and the instant she did, he left. She knew he wasn't gone entirely, as he would make sure she had carried out with her promise, but she knew he would no longer bother her. She reached over and grabbed a handful of olives, popping them quickly into her mouth. "Oh my God," she mouthed as she tried the cheese on a cracker, suddenly grateful Loki didn't decide to stay and watch her frantically stuff her mouth. She closed her eyes and sunk back into her pillow.

She took a long time eating, trying hard not to overdo it. It was a harrowing task not to, as each bite of food was more delicious than the last. There were fruits she had never seen nor tasted that made her sigh with pure satisfaction. He could be feeding her poison for all she knew and she wouldn't even care.

After a while, she made her way out onto the balcony in her room, staring at the orchard Loki had been referring to. She wondered to herself how a man so barbaric and murderous could so casually ramble on about plums. She briefly saw the look in his eyes when she first dropped to the floor and as much as she tried to ignore the fact that nagged at her, Jane knew there was a great deal more to him.

But she didn't care. She couldn't afford to. Not in this situation. This situation was about survival. This situation was about protecting Thor, to the best of her ability, and getting back home in one piece. Maybe that was it. If there was humanity in Loki, any at all, she needed to use that to her advantage. If she was kinder to him, if she feigned cooperation, there might be some slim possibility that she would find a way out, or he would let her go. It sounded crazy, but her attitude thus far had only made things worse. She had to try a different approach.

She wasn't sure if it was the food in her stomach or the realization she had just made (maybe a combination of both), but all hope was suddenly renewed. It was going to be extremely difficult not to lose her temper with him, as he had a way of continually getting under her skin, but she knew she had to try.

She walked out of her room and found him in the sunroom, reading at the desk in front of the bookshelves. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh when she caught sight of him wearing a pair of gold-rimmed wire spectacles, looking studious. She never got used to seeing any sort of civilized side to him.

"Is something amusing, Miss Foster?" he said nonchalantly, continuing to read his book, trying hard to ignore her presence.

"Uh, no," Jane stuttered, making a mental note to remember that it was not at all possible to sneak up on this man. She walked further into the room to take a seat on a small couch opposite from the desk, folding her arms across her chest. "Just didn't know you wore glasses."

"I'm afraid there is much you don't know about me, Jane." He said quietly, removing the frames to finally look up at her. He swallowed, trying hard not to notice the orange and gold frock she now wore. He wanted to laugh at how pretty she was. "You look… well," was all he could manage.

"I feel well. I think it was the plums," she teased, trying hard not to laugh. She had no idea how she was managing to joke during such a terrible ordeal, but she missed laughing.

He smiled too, though he was trying just as hard to hide it. He realized she was mocking him, but he appreciated it all the same.

"I have to ask, do you always wear the same thing? Do you have a closet just full of those black, green and gold numbers, or what? Like Batman?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind," she sighed.

"I didn't know my wardrobe offended you."

"It doesn't," she said, shaking her head thoughtfully. She always admired the Asgardian clothing, truth be told, but between him and Thor, she had no idea how they wore that heavy garb all the time. "It just looks… uncomfortable." No wonder you're always cranky, she thought.

"You become accustomed to it," he replied mechanically, though he secretly continued thinking on it. He looked over at her once more, wondering what other things went on in that brain of hers. She was always telling him her opinions, and though he found it exhausting at times, it was also refreshing. She was small, but strong. She's strong in ways you'd never even know, he heard his brother's voice echo in the back of his head.

He suddenly stood swiftly from his chair, breaking his concentration, knowing it was best to put an end to their casual conversation as quickly as possible. "I will leave you to your… ever intriguing thoughts, Miss Foster," he nodded, straightening himself while noticing the uncomfortable weight of his leather just a bit more so than usual. He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but instead started off in the direction of the main hall.

"Will you come back?" Jane asked, quickly standing from her seat as well, following closely behind him. She was confused by how fast she got up from the couch, putting it down to the mere desire to get her plan into action sooner rather than later.

"I assume you are smart enough to piece together that at some point, yes, I will be back," he replied irritably, almost at the door.

"That's not what I mean."

"What do you mean then?" he said, turning on his heel, his eyes boring into hers, his voice growing impatient.

Jane backed up, startled by the cross man hovering over her. There were times she forgot herself, forgot he was dangerous, but she continued to stand her ground. "You asked me before if there was anything you could do to make me more comfortable here. Do you mean it?"

"I do," he said, his voice resolved yet strangely turning soft at her inquiry.

"Would you - come back? For dinner?"

The look on Loki's face was a mixture of confusion and abhorrence. Surely, she was being facetious. Before he had a chance to come back with a nasty retort, Jane spoke again, determined to convince him of her sincerity.

"I-I'm alone for most of the day. I think if I had company, even for just a short while, it would make things better."

"Even if the company happens to be that of your captor?"

"Yes," she said, surprised by her own candor. "Even then."

Loki's brow furrowed as he scrutinized her demeanor very carefully, determined not to agree to her terms until he was certain she was not jesting with him. He stared at her, completely dumbfounded, for so long that she began to shift uncomfortably where she stood.

"Fine," he swallowed, nodding his head curtly after a moment while quickly turning around so that she wouldn't continue to see the befuddled look that plagued him. He wasn't at all convinced that she truly wanted to dine with him, but her unexpected request, at the very least, intrigued him.

"Fine," Jane said, turning around to leave, heaving a sigh of relief that he had agreed to come and that his close proximity to her had lessened. "Bring the plums."

Loki smiled to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

When the sun fell beyond the hills and the sky became littered with stars, Loki returned to Jane's tower. He did so every evening for nearly a week before the two exchanged more than a few sentences to one another. Most nights they ate in silence, which Jane was grateful for, despite the fact that she had loads of questions and plenty to say. She didn't know much about Loki, but she knew him well enough to know that if she were to act too nice too soon he would figure something was up. It was best to let this experimental "plan" of hers play out as slowly and as naturally as possible.

"Do you have everything you require?" Loki asked one evening, not bothering to look up at her.

Jane jumped at the sudden sound of his voice in the quiet hall. "Uh, hardly," she replied as cordially as she could manage, pushing the meat around her plate. "I don't have any of my notebooks or journals. I don't have my equipment. I don't have my clothes - not that these aren't beautiful," she hastened to say, looking down at the latest gown she wore. "I guess I'm just not used to any of it."

"Mmm," Loki muttered, mulling over her words as he took a slow sip of wine. "Do the books not interest you?"

"No - I love them, actually," she replied earnestly, pushing a lock of hair behind her ears. "I've never had so much time to read. I've never had so much time in general."

"Consider it a reprieve from that drab, unsavory realm of yours."

"You seemed pretty intent on taking over my drab, unsavory realm," she retorted, rolling her eyes. He was unbelievable. This whole being nice thing was going to be a hell of a lot harder than she imagined.

"I am glad I did not succeed," he replied bitterly.

"I- I miss my family, my friends," she continued, ignoring his last remark. "They have no idea where I am, they have no idea if I'm okay. I miss my work. I miss the little things, like my morning coffee at Java World and my crap TV at night. I miss visiting the botanical gardens on weekends and I miss nature in general and... I just have other needs, Loki. You can't expect me to while away eternity reading."

Loki stopped what he was doing and looked up her, remembering similar words he spoke to Frigga during his imprisonment after New York. _I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable, Loki..._

He stood and walked to one of the windows, staring blankly out at the night sky. He appeared vexed, almost uncomfortable. After several minutes of silence, Jane watched curiously as he reached down into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out her phone.

"Assuage their fears," he said as he turned, walking over to place the device gently on the table in front of her.

She laughed, somewhat nervously. "I don't think Asgard has service."

"It is in your best interest and theirs that your location remains undisclosed," he continued, his tone grave. "There is nothing they can do for you. There would be no point in worrying them further."

Jane looked up at him, knowing by the look he gave her now that she would indeed be able to use her phone. Her heart pounded as she reached for it.

"Can I at least have some privacy?"

"I cannot grant you that request. Please, be as brief and as vague as possible."

Jane swallowed. What would she say - to any of them? How could she make them believe she was okay when no one had heard from her in over a week? It was so unlike her to just disappear. But Loki was right. They couldn't help her, and she knew it. Even if she broke down and told them the truth, Thor was long gone and no one could reach him. Therefore, no on could reach her. It was pointless to worry them.

She picked up her phone, which curiously still had ample battery life. Over a hundred missed calls, mostly ones from Darcy and Erik. It wasn't unlike her to go a while without calling her parents because of work, so she knew they wouldn't be freaking out unless her friends had made them worry, which at this point, she was sure they had. She couldn't deal with her parents, so she decided on the safest bet; Erik. He hardly ever answered his cell. She could just leave a simple voicemail without getting too emotional.

_Please don't answer, please don't answer._ The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity to Jane before the familiar voicemail message came on.

"Hi, Erik. It's... Jane. I, um, I'm sure you've been worried, and I'm sorry. Do me a huge favor and just let everyone know that I'm okay. Really, I am. I can't explain this now. Maybe someday I'll be able to, but right now, I can't. Don't expect to hear from me for a while. Please, don't worry. Bye."

As soon as she hung up she glanced over at Loki who was back at the same window, his expression unreadable. She was grateful he wasn't looking at her, grateful he didn't see the tears that were forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and grabbed the nearest napkin, quickly dabbing at them.

"Smart man, Erik Selvig," Loki said quietly after a minute had passed. He still didn't look at her.

"Please," Jane begged tiredly, pouring herself more wine. "Please don't say his name. Not after what you did to him."

"What_ I_ did-"

"_Please._"

Loki turned to retort but stopped once he looked at her. He wasn't sure why it bothered him, why he cared at all, but the sight of her red eyes and the sound of her sniffling certainly didn't make him happy. He was about to request that she cease her drinking, but who the hell was he to stop her? He had brought her here against her will, away from her friends, away from her family, away from her gardens and her "crap TV". He was was nothing in her eyes. Less than nothing. As it should be.

As Loki resumed eating, Jane continued drinking. By the time he was properly full, Jane found herself properly drunk. She thought it curious that Loki didn't seem to be even remotely inebriated despite the fact that he was matching her drink-for-drink. Then she remembered how Thor was able to out drink Erik without batting an eye with those, what did Erik call them... boilermakers?

_Thor._ No matter how drunk she was, it hurt to think of him.

"You seem to enjoy the wine," Loki said, his concern growing. She was small for a Midgardian, and already well past her limit. He didn't want to have to explain to Eir what Jane Foster was doing back on Asgard if she were to get sick.

"I've enjoyed everything, thank you," she said politely, trying hard not to appear as cocked as she was. "This turkey leg is the size of my head," she mused, holding one up for size even though she couldn't see the comparison. Loki looked up and smiled, so fleetingly, that if one was to blink they would miss it. She did.

"How does all of this food even get here?" she asked after a minute, feeling suddenly curious about it.

"Servants."

"I never see anyone."

"You're always late," he replied, irritably.

_Servants,_ it occurred to her. _If I could just get one of them alone... I could tell them about Loki and Odin and..._

"I wouldn't, if I were you," he warned as he poured himself another glass, reading her thoughts.

"And what if I did?"

"Their fates will rest in your hands."

Jane glared at him. Too many had perished during her last trip to Asgard. She wouldn't risk harm to anyone else and he knew it. "Won't they know who I am?"

"Many know who you are. Not many are familiar with your appearance."

"What about Heimdall. Can't he see me? Can't he see _you?_"

"Heimdall, with all his gifts and all his wisdom is still blind to much," Loki said, shaking his head. It was clear he wasn't fond of the gatekeeper.

"Well, if I do run into anyone up here they'll definitely be able to tell that I'm not Asgardian," she said, crossing her arms. "I won't make any effort to hide that."

"Who the Allfather keeps for company is none of their concern."

"You are _not_ the Allfather."

"I AM KING!" he yelled furiously as he slammed his fists on the table, his voice echoing loudly off the walls. "You will do well to remember that."

Jane's blood boiled at his audacity. She shot up from the table, holding on to it for support as she swayed. The only insult that came to mind was ridiculous, but the words came out before she could stop them. "Someone hasn't gotten laid in a long, long, _long_ time."

"Laid?" he responded through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. His nostrils flared in anger.

"You know…"

"I'm afraid not."

"_Shit,_" she whispered to herself, her head spinning. Never had an insult backfired so terribly. Was she really going to have to explain this to him? "Uh, when two people who like each other... well, sometimes they don't even like each other... get together and..."

"I see," he interjected quickly, her awkwardness confirming his fears about what she was referring to. He stared down at his chalice, rapping his pointer finger at the base of it.

"I mean, it's none of my business, of course," she rambled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's just that, well, no wonder you're such a mess." _Shut up, Jane. Shut. Up._

"I don't take kindly to being referred to as "a mess."

"It sucks after a long while. I get it."

"I am not implying that is has been a _long while_."

"Well, I am."

"You forget your place, Jane."

Loki watched curiously as she stumbled over to where he was sitting and slammed her chalice down on the table. She was close now, her finger pointed just inches from his nose, so close, that he could smell the wine on her lips.

"I told you before and I meant it," she said, staring into his eyes furiously. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm calling it like I see it, from one fucking lonely person to another. I know that look, I know that sad, pathetic, angry front."

Loki's eyebrow cocked at her use of expletives, but he didn't give a damn that she was drunk. He wouldn't give her an inch, wouldn't give her any insight into himself. He sat back in his chair, trying to looking nonchalant as he crossed his arms over his chest. "My, my, what a mouth on you. Not very ladylike."

"FUCK being ladylike."

Both of Loki's eyebrows were raised now. Jane was incredibly drunk and incredibly furious and he had no idea where this surreal conversation was going, but she certainly had his full attention.

"I've thrown myself into my work for years - _years_ \- because if I stopped, even for a moment, I would realize I had nothing else. And that terrified me. You - you're afraid to stop," she laughed under her breath, the realization hitting her. "You're afraid to stop all of this because if you do, you'll realize the same. You'll realize you have _nothing_."

"Enough," he said, averting his eyes from her intense gaze. He pushed his chair back away from her and stood, trying to put distance in between the two of them. She followed.

"Admit it. You know I'm right!"

"Tell me," he said, turning back around to face her. "Were you this much of a pain to Thor?"

"_Oh._ So _this_ is what this is all about," she said, gesturing to everything around her. "You have to have EVERYTHING that's Thor's and I'm no freakin' exception!"

"Ah," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. This was getting fun. "But you aren't Thor's, need I remind you. Not anymore."

Loki was certain Jane would slap him again, but she didn't. After the two stared each other down for what seemed like forever, he rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

"Whatever your plan is, whatever it is you're trying to accomplish... you will _fail,_" Jane said, with the most condescending, self-assured tone of voice he'd ever heard from any being in all the nine realms. "You will fail like you _always _do."

At that moment, something in him snapped. He whirled around and in several long strides stalked over to her, backing her up into one of the far corners of the room. He was, for the first time, pleased by the fear on her face, pleased by the way she cowered from him. It needed to be this way.

"Did I fail that day in Svartalfheim when I saved your hide?" he growled as he loomed over her, his face bent down close to hers. "Or do you remember none of that?"

"You were a coward who saved his own skin," she said through gritted teeth, hiding her shaking hands behind her back as she hit the wall. She braced herself for a hit, or a hand around her throat, but neither came.

The two stared at one another for ages, their chests heaving from rage. Loki wanted nothing more than to pick her up and cast her off her balcony, to be rid of her once and for all, but he knew the thoughts were just that. As he looked down at her beneath him, watching her chest methodically move up and down, feeling her warm breath against his cold lips, he began to feel something else. Something much more dangerous than rage.

As much as Jane hated to admit it, Loki did save her. He could have easily botched their plan against Malekith, easily have gotten them both killed. But it had not gone that way. And deep down inside of her, something stirred. Maybe it was because of the wine. Maybe it was because of something else. But she knew, looking up into his eyes now, that he had done something noble. Whether it was for her, for his mother or for Thor, she didn't know, but it was noble all the same. She began to wonder how many times he had done the right thing only to have been blamed or berated for it. Too many times and that would mess anyone up. Maybe he didn't know the damn difference between right and wrong anymore, but there was still good in him. She saw it, even if he didn't. And in the moment, it was blinding.

Without knowing quite why, and without having a clear mind to stop her, Jane pushed herself up on her toes and crashed her lips fervently into his.


End file.
